Governing mechanism for pneumatic-tube systems.



B. O. BATGHELLER. GOVERNING MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEMS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 21, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

,4 TTORNEV.

No. 862,696. PATENTEDAUG. 6, 1907.

B. G. BATGHELLER. GOVERNING MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1905 3 SHEETS-SHBHT 2..

WITNESSES A: A TTORNEY.

PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907. B. C. BATUHELLER.

GOVERNING MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEMS E0 1 I T O N 6 o 0 i i=2I "1 R1) w G Q J WITNESSES r flwficjr'fim 4-; ATTORNEY.

UNITED STACEES PATENT OFFICE.

BIRNEY'O. BATCHELLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR TO THEPEAEsALL PNEUMATIC TUBE AND POWER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF NEW 'YORK.

GOVERNING MECHANISM FOR PNEUMATIC-TUBE SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent- Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed March 21, 1905. Serial No. 251,209.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BIRNEY C. BA'rcnELLER, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, inthe State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Governing Mechanism for Pneumatic-Tube Systems, of whichthe following is a true and exact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to pneumatic tube systems in which the airexhausting or compressing mechanism is actuated by an electric motor, myobject being to provide for an automatic regulation of the speed of themotor by which the pressure in the tube or a connected chamber will bemaintained approximately at a constant point, irrespective of thevarying demand upon the energy of the apparatus. I accomplish this byproviding a controlling mechanism for the motor circuit by which thespeed of the motor and of the connected mechanism can be varied, andcombining with the said controller means for Operating it, which saidmeans is, in turn, actuated by the varying pressure in the pneumatictube or its connected chamber.

The general nature of my invention, as Well as the specific improvementsI prefer to use in connection with it, will be best understood asdescribed in connection with the drawings which illustrate my inventionand in which Figure l, is a side elevation of the motor, exhaustingmechanism and governing devices; Fig. 2, being a plan View of thegoverning mechanism; Fig. 3, an enlarged sectional elevation of thegoverning mechanism, and Fig. 4, is a side elevation of a modifiedsystem operating by compression of the air.

A, Fig. 1, indicates the pneumatic tube or a chamber in connectiontherewith, B, the pressure mechanism, here shown as an exhaust blower,actuated through the pulley O, and belt D, by an electric motor E.

F, F, indicate the leads running from the motor to the binding posts Fand F of a rheostat regulator of which G indicates the stationarycontacts and G the movable member Or switch arm. The switch arm isconnected by a conductor R to the post F and the contacts G areconnected by resistances indicated at R. Leads S, S, from any suitablesource of current run one to the binding post F and the other to one ofthe end contacts G as shown. The movable member G, is connected througha rod H, with a piston H, moving in a pneumatic cylinder I, the ends ofwhich cylinder are connectedthrough conduits .I, and J, with the portsK, andK, of the valve casing K, the ends of which are open to theatmosphere, as shown in Fig. 3, while between the ports the casing isconnected by a pipe K to the tube or chamber A.

L, indicates the valve, consisting of a stem provided with two pistons,as shown in Fig. 3, and connected with actuating mechanism through aconnecting rod L.

M, is a base in which, as shown, is formed the lower section of adiaphragm chamber, the upper section of the chamber being formed by ahead M, opened freely to the atmosphere at M.

N, is a diaphragm extending across the diaphragm chamber and connectedto the valve L, the diaphragm chamber also supporting the cylinder 1,and the cylinder 1, supporting a standard 0, having guides 0 secured toit, while the standards 0, and O, are connected at top by a crossbar OP, is an adjusting screw working through the crossbar 0 and adjusted bymeans of the nuts P, and P the said adjusting screw being connectedthrough a spring P with the diaphragm N, as shown in Fig. 3.

Q, is a conduit leading from the lower side of the diaphragm chamber tothe vacuum pipe A. Q, a throttling valve of any character by which thepressure in the diaphragm chamber is made relatively independent ofrapid fluctuations in pipe A.

R, is a slide moving in the guideways O and connected through lugs R,with the piston rod H. The head as shown is provided with an outwardlycurved arm R which through a link S, connects with one end of a lever S,the opposite end of which indicated at S, is connected with one arm of adouble armed lever pivotcd at T, and having its other end connected at Twith a rod U, which in turn is connected with the diaphragm N; to anintermediate point S of the lever S, is connected the valve actuatingrod L.

In operation, the valve L, is normally in the position indicated in Fig.3 in which position it closes both ports K, and K, so that the piston H,and the connected rheostat member G, remains in fixed position. If thevacuum in the conduit A, increases to an abnormal point a correspondingvacuum is created in the lower side of the vacuum chamber and thediaphragm drawn downward which, through the rod U, draws downward theinner arm of the lever T, forcing its outer arm upward and, through therod L, drawing thevalve L, upward so as to connect the top port K, andthe lower end of the cylinder I, with the vacuum chamber, while thebottom port K, and the top end of the cylinder I, are connected to theatmosphere. In consequence of this shifting of pressure the piston H,moves downward shifting the movable rheostat member G, to diminish thecurrent in the motor circuit, but the downward movement of the piston isaccompanied by a downward movement of the slide It, which, through itsdescribed connections, moves the left hand end of the lever S, downwardand, of course, shifts the point S in the same direction, with theresult of gradually restor- 'to shift in one direction or the other.

.ing the valve to normal position. which position it will occupy untilavariation of the vacuumcauses it again Thus it will be seen that eachvariation of the vacuum will cause a shifting of the rheostat and areturn of the valve to normal position, the apparatus being entirelysensitive and resulting in an economical use of the electric powerapplied for the actuation of the system. i

In Fig. 4 I have shown my invention applied to a compressed air systemand with a further modification of the electric mechanism. The motor E,here drives an air compressor, indicated at C, the air being deliveredthrough pipe A into a reservoir A A, being the pipe leading to the tubesystem. The governor device is modified by using a spring P undercompression between the diaphragm N, and an adjusting cap P", instead ofthe tension spring P otherwise the mechanism is the same except that theconnections to valve K, are reversed. In Fig. 4, insteadof using arheostat, as in Fig. 1, I show contacts F to F each connected to acircuit wire of different voltage, the movable member Gfi moving fromone contact to the other and connectjug-them in turn with the motor wireF through binding post F and conductor RC Inthis form it will beunderstood that the motor lead F runs to one side, and the conductorsconnected to'the contacts F to F run to the other side of the suitablesource of electric current not shown.

It will be obvious that the mechanical features of construction may bevaried in manyways which will occur to mechanics or engineers, withoutdeparture from the invention, and I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself in the claims to the specific construction illustratedexcept in so far as the specific construction is distinctly referred totherein.-

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is,

1. In a pneumatic tube system having in combination with the pneumatictube or a connected chamber, a machine for producing a determined airpressure therein, and an for controlling the speed of the motor andmeans for operating said controlling mechanism to regulate the speed ofthe motor and maintain an approximately constant pressure in the ,tubeor chamber consisting of a pneumatic cylinder having a pistonconnectedto actuate the con troller, said cylinder having its ends connectedthrough a valve casing to the tube, in combination with a valve andvalve casing situated in the conduits leading to the cylinder ends fromthe tube, said valve normally closing both conduits and, when moved,opening the end of the cylinder to the air and the other to the pressurein the tube, a diaphragm chamber connected at one side to the tube, adiaphragm situated in said chamber, means for forcing said diaphragm ina direction opposite to that in which the pressure in the chamber tendsto move it, and. a lever system connected to the diaphragm, the. valveand the piston. whereby the motion of the diaphragm acts to shift thevalve from normal position and the motion of the piston acts to returnthe valve to said normal position.

2. In a pneumatic tube system having 111 combination with the pneumatictube or a connected-chamber, a machine for producing a determined airpressure therein and an electric motor for actuating said machine,mechanism controllingthe speed of said motor and means for operatingsaid controller to regulate the speed of'the motor and maintain anapproximately constant pressure in the'tube. consisting of a pneuma'iiccylinder having a piston connectcd to actuate thecontroller, saidcylinder having its ends connected through avalveeasing to the tube incom-v bination with a valve and valve casing situated in the conduitleading to the cylinder, ends from the tube, said valve normally closingboth conduits and, when moved, opening one end of-the cylinder to theair and the other to the pressure in the tube, a dlaphragm'chamberconnected at one side to the tube, a diaphragm situated in said chamber,means for forcing said diaphragm in a direction opposite to that inWhich-the pressure in the chamber tends to move it, a slide R, connectedand moving with the'piston, a two-armed pivoted lever '1, connected atone end to the diaphragm, a lever S, connected at one end to the slideR, and at the'other end to the free end of lever T, and

a connection from an intermediate point on lever S, to

the valve.

BIRNEY C. BATCHELLER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. Mi'iins. I). STEWART.

